Is Spirit Lake, ID a Good Place to Live?
Spirit Lake is a small town of 2,375 in Idaho, with a median household income of $61,625 and a 3.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Spirit Lake stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Spirit Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Spirit Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.5Spirit Lake's overall cost of living index is 96.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Spirit Lake costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Spirit Lake, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $332,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,071 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 87.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $61,625 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeSpirit Lake's violent crime rate is 237.6 per 100,000 residents — 37% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Spirit Lake is served primarily by LAKELAND DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Spirit Lake, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | LAKELAND DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 17.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 91.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Spirit Lake sees average highs of 34.7°F in January and 80.2°F in July, with 28.2 inches of annual precipitation and 27.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Spirit Lake, ID |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 34.7°F |
| Average High — July | 80.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 27.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Spirit Lake, ID | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,375 | — |
| Median Age | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 32.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake, ID is covered by 1 ZIP code: